Key container



Sp. w49. w. M. SMYSER ET AL 2743?,359

KEY CONTAINER Filed Feb. 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l f gig? Sept., 6, R949. w. M. sMYsER ET AL KEY CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1947 8;-8 of Figure 7, l

ters; Ir snag i2. j and i12 greeting Patented Sept. 6, 1949 VtlpllieatitnFeminist-y 5, 1947, seriai No. '126;476

`in either openror iel d iwon; or locking'both keys Oriblades, .inselct .pQiPOQi A further V@infect 0 ,S y..irirriflfelies )tOfPO- videa holderoi thi.. h, .liisies'e .faked key vclampfor securing the key to the p'ivoted and etched tarief.A A further Qbiect 0U f l anxiinprovedmholder ofithis Algind which canbe AVmade in asmall and convenient 'size to readily fltinto apocket.- e. With the aDOYendQtp. 0 m WGW? .Qur invention consists in ythe'`arrangement; ombination andvdetaiispf ctSstr'tQ" slosedinthe 'releasablelooliingshaft," .Y nal' tiewtakencn the une i 45 direction.

, Figure 8 is, a" secti' e Figure 9 is acirdin'eaifnn of "keyrfofuse designates'eene of complementar "an 'gute wall VVAtion bf a key( (Cl. 'l0-456) 5 'shown in F'gure'B.

n In the `present instant this uiiliiiees "shown as lconmgrising akey holder f1""l'i`6l'ding' af'flurallty of keys with one pair 'of'kysinthhusing Ii and another bairbfkysinmthe ho 'sing 20 Aing mem-ber 24 @extended th'r'ugHtne arms? 22 L 25 II or extended therefrom byhians oifwa carrier 30 round portions as* pimtrittry tefmntiretltr w The intermediate wund "tion l'21"orthesriaft 26 is adapted to rotatably'engjagethrough afbair of edge abutting 'pistes :aatandsnivninare"aispo'sed between the'coifronting' 'edgesdf'ththousprovide a means for limiting the endwise sliding movement of the locking member 25 in either direction.

The housing member I I is formed with yan elongated slot 31 in the wall I4 thereof, and the end wall I6 is also formed with a slot 38 aligning with the slot 31 so that the key I9 may be swung outwardly through substantially the dotted position shown in Figures 3 and 4. A spacer sleeve or washer 39 is disposed about the shaft 25 between the depression 3| and the outer side of the carrier 20, and a second spacer sleeve 40 is disposed between the Ipartition plates 33 and 34 and the inner side -of the carrier 20. The opposite end of the housing II also is provided with a key carrier 4| similar to the carrier 20 and a key 42 is secured to the carrier 4| and is adapted to be moved outwardly through a slot 43 formed in .the wall I4, and a slot 44 formed in the end wall I1.

The keys I and 42 overlap each other for subs-tantially their Ientire length, as shown in Figure 3, so that the housing II) may be made relatively short. The housing I2 has a key carrier 45 disposed therein and a key 46 is secured to this carrier. A second key carrier 41 is disposed in the housing member I2 and has `a key 48 secured thereto. The carriers 45 and 41 are lsimi-lar in every detail to the carrier 20 and the carriers 4| and 41 are mounted on a locking shaft 49 which is similar to the shaft 25. Carrier 45 is mounted on shaft 25 within the housing I2.

Referring now to Figure 9, there is shown a blank key 50 which has formed integral therewith la carrier 5| formed with a square opening 52 through which the locking shaft or pin 25 is adapted to slidably engage. When the key I9 is swung inwardly to inoperative position as shown in Figure 4, this key is limited in its inward swinging movement by means of a stop 53 carried by the housing ID, and the stop v53 Ialso provides for stopping rotation of the carrier at the time the polygonal opening thereof is in registry with shaft 25 so that the latter may subsequently be moved endwise.

In order to provide for the initial swinging movement of each key and carrier when the shaft l25 is moved Aendwise in the desired direction, there is provided a spring 54 associated with each carrier 20, 4|, 45, :and 41, which is under compression at the time the key is in its inner Ainioperative position.

The upper wall I4 of the housing I I, and the upper wal-l 55 of lthe housing I2 are formed with cutouts or recesses 56 and 51 so that the desired key can be readily grasped between the ngers when it is initially moved upward by the spring 54 after the shaft 25 is moved endwise in the desired direction and so that an extended key may be swung inwardly to its retracted position. 'I'he shaft 25 is non-rotatable with respect to the housing members I I and I2 so that when this shaft is in its neutral position, which is the DOsition shown -in Figure 3, the keys will be looked in either the innermost positions or may be locked with selected ones of the keys in ltheir innermost inoperative position, and one of the keys in its extended operative position.

In order to move the key I9 outwardly to operative position, shaft or pin 25 is moved endwise in the direction of the housing member I I so that the round portion 28 thereof will be disposed within the square hole of the carrier 20. At this time the spring 54 will be released and key I9 will 4be partly swung upwardly within the cutout 56.

'4 This key 1can then be swung upwardly either at right langles to the housing I0 or may be swung vthrough an arc of as shown in Figure 4, and in the event it is desired to lock the key I9 in its extended operative position, shaft 25 is then moved in the direction of the housing member I2.

This holder may Vbe formed out of any desired material such as metal or plastic and will yprovide a convenient means for holding a plurality of keys so that these keys can be either selectively retracted into the housing or extended from the housing.

We do not mean to confine ourselves to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A holder comprising an elongated housing formed with a plurality of lengthwise slots and end slots formed as extensions of said lengthwise slots, a plurality of elongated retractable members engageable in said housing when in retracted position and movable outwardly through said slots to extended position, each of said members having a polygonal opening therethrough, a releasable locking shaft extending transversely of said housing and through the openings of said members, said shaft being formed of spaced polygonal portions and intermediate round portions, said housing having polygonal openings in the side walls thereof through which the polygonal portions of said shaft slidably extend, said shaft being movable endwise in either direction whereby a round intermediate portion will be disposed within the polygonal opening of a selected member whereby said selected member may be swung from a retracted position to an extended position, and spring means for at least initially swinging said selected member to extended position upon release thereof.

2. A holder comprising an elongated housing formed with a plurality of lengthwise slots and end slots formed as extensions of said lengthwise slots, a plurality of elongated retractable members engageable in said housing when in retracted position and movable outwardly through said slots to extended position, each of said members having a polygonal opening therethrough, a releasable locking shaft extending transversely of said housing and through the openings of said members, said shaft being formed of spa-ced polygonal portions and intermediate round portions, said housing having polygonal openings in the side Walls thereof 'through which the polygonal portions of said shaft slidably extend, said shaft being movable endwise in either direction whereby a round intermediate portion will be disposed within the polygonal opening of a selected member whereby said selected member may be swung from a retracted position to an extended position, spring means for at least initially swinging said selected member to extended position upon release thereof, and means in said housing engaging about one of said round shaft portions for limiting the endwise movement of said shaft in either direction.

3. A holder comprising an elongated housing formed with a plurality of lengthwise slots and end slots formed as extensions of said lengthwise slots, a plurality of elongated retractable members engageable in said housing when in retracted position and movable outwardly through said slots to extended position, each of said members having a polygonal opening therethrough, each member including a pair of clamping jaws-an article having an end thereof engaging between said jaws, means securing said article between said jaws, a releasable locking shaft extending transversely of said housing and through the openings of said members, said shaft being formed of spaced polygonal portions and intermediate round portions, said housing having polygonal openings in the side walls thereof through which the polygonal portions of said shaft slidably extend, said shaft being movable endwise in either direction whereby a round intermediate portion will be disposed within the polygonal opening of a selected member whereby said selected member may be swung from a retracted position to an extended position, and spring means for at least initially swinging said selected member to extended position upon release thereof.

4. A holder comprising an elongated housing formed with a plurality of lengthwise slots and end slots formed as extensions of said lengthwise slots, a plurality of elongated retractable members engageable in said housing when in retracted position and movable outwardly through said slots to extended position, each of said members having a polygonal opening therethrough, a releasable locking shaft extending transversely of said housing and through the openings of said members, said shaft being formed of spaced polygonal portions and intermediate round portions, said housing having polygonal openings in the side walls thereof through which the polygonal portions of said shaft slidably extend, said shaft being movable endwise in either direction whereby a round intermediate portion will be disposed within the polygonal opening of a selected member whereby said selected member may be swung from a retracted position to an extended position.

WILLIS M. SMYSER.

STEVEN C. RHEBERG.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date MacPherson et al. Dec. 29, 1942 Number 

